How to improve collaboration across government departments to achieve healthy urban environments

Insufficient cross-departmental collaboration within Government is a major barrier to prioritising health in urban development. This article explores practical ways to improve collaboration to achieve healthier urban environments. The findings are drawn from a knowledge exchange workshop attended by 79 key decision makers. Data was analysed using Rapid Qualitative Analysis. Five avenues for change were identified: (1) upscaling existing collaborations, (2) identifying a pilot issue with traction, (3) establishing effective public engagement, (4) creating a stakeholder matrix tool and (5) delivering a consensus building technique. These actions were seen as steps to a more integrated approach to collaboration across government.